First Generation Students: From Admission to Graduation

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1 First Generation Students: From Admission to GraduationAssociation of American Colleges and Universities Conference Annual Meeting 2013Ms. DeLaine Priest Dr. Vivian Ortiz Associate Vice President Director University of Central Florida University of Central Florida

2 Presentation OverviewUCF OverviewUCF First Generation PopulationFactors that affect the transition, retention, and graduation of first generation college studentsUCF Interventions and Support ServicesEngagementImpact of Assessment and EvaluationQ/A

5 UCF First Generation Student DefinitionA First Generation Student (FGS) is a student whose parents or guardians have not earned a bachelor’s degreeHow do your schools define FGS?

6 UCF First Generation StudentsOver 11,500 UCF undergraduates are first generation college students (approx. 23% of all undergraduates)Summer to Fall Full Time FTIC Cohort Retention ( ) = 83.8%59 % of First Generation Students identify as female and 41% as maleRacial/Ethnic Background (FTIC )6% Asian11% Black26% Hispanic53% White4% Other

7 FGS in PerspectiveA 2007 study by the Higher Education Research Institute found that 17percent of entering first-year students were first generation students.Now look at 2012, where one in three college students is first generation (Greenwald, 2012).Significant increase and growth in enrollment of first generation students in just five years.

8 Research on FGSNote: Before any factors can be discussed, limitations of the research on first generation college students should be noted. While studies indicate that first generation students are less likely to be retained, little is known about the college experiences of first generation students (Duggan, 2001; 2002; Pike & Suh, 2005)What is known:15 percent gap between 3-year persistence on first (73 percent) and second (83 percent) generation students (Walburton, Bugarin, & Nunez, 2001)Differences in the pre-college characteristics of first and second generation students can affect FGS persistence and graduation rates (Terenzini, Springer, Yeager, Pascarella, & Nora, 1996)More likely to have spent less time socializing with peers in high school and interacting with high school teachers (lower levels of engagement)FGS are less likely to live on campus, to develop relationships with faculty members, and more likely to work more hours off campus (Richardson & Skinner, 1992; Terenzini et al., 1996)FGS are less likely to develop strong relationships with other students and to become involved in clubs and organizations (Billson & Terry, 1982; Richardson & Skinner, 1992)FGS are more likely to report lower levels of engagement in college (Pike & Suh, 2005)

10 Characteristics of FGSMore likely to be a Black or Hispanic woman from a low income backgroundLess likely to enroll in college, even if academically qualified for admissionLess academically preparedLess knowledge of college protocolLower achievement test scoresLower college entrance exam scoresAttend part time and discontinuouslyLess likely to live on-campusMore likely to work 20+ hours a week and have financial concernsMore likely to experience transitional issuesLess confidence in their ability to succeed in collegeEngle (2007), Jehangir (2010), Higher Education Institute (2007)

11 Characteristics of FGSMarried FGS less likely to persist (52.8 percent)Male FGS more likely to persist (9.4 percent)FGS whose primary language at home was not English were more likely to persist than if English was their primary language at home (14.7 percent)Hispanic FGS were less likely to persist than White FGS (35.4 percent)FGS who chose an institution so they could live at home were more likely to persist than those that stated they could not live at home (18.3 percent)FGS attending private institutions were less like to persist than those attending public institutions (12.3 percent)For every one unit increase in GPA, FGS were 12.8 percent more likely to persistLohfink& Paulsen (2005)

12 Why Provide Support to First Generation StudentsFirst Generation Students are at a distinct disadvantage compared to their peers when it comes to retention and graduation from higher education institutions‘Access does not equal success’

13 UCF’s Response to First Generation StudentsLarge number of underserved studentsNo targeted programming for FGS though it is an at-risk populationNeed to be proactive in addressing issues of student retention and success

14 Evolution of UCF’s First Generation ProgramIdentified the need for a First Generation Student ProgramIdentified the barriers to FGCS successDeveloped the mission and goals of the FGCS ProgramMaximized the potential for success through appropriate unit/program alignmentIdentify first generation college students:Financial Aid (FAFSA)AdmissionsOrientationCreation of initiatives targeting this population

15 Challenges that UCF FGS ExperienceFinancialNavigating the college systemAcademic PreparationCampus EngagementFamily/Cultural ChallengesExpectations of SelfPreparation for future after college

16 Multicultural Academic and Support Services (MASS)Mission: maximize student success by assisting Multicultural and First-Generation College Students in their transition to the University of Central Florida and by connecting with the University community and our partners to promote and facilitate academic support services and programs.Brother to Brother ProgramSOAR ProgramFirst Generation ProgramWorkshops/SpeakersCommunity College DayMulticultural Transfer Student Welcome Reception

17 UCF’s First Generation Program: Overview||Part of the Multicultural Academic and Support Services Office Mission: To ease FGCS’ transition to college, provide them an academic home, demystify their college experience, assist them with navigating through the university landscape, and help them prepare to succeed at UCF and beyond.The Program Offers:One-on-one Support through graduationFinancial support through scholarships and information on financial resourcesReferral to resourcesOpportunities to connect with students, faculty, staff, professionals and alumniPrograms and workshops that provide role models to FGCS and help them succeed

21 UCF Interventions and Support ServicesPrograms Preparing FGCS Students for Graduate School or STEM Fields Learning Environment and Academic Research Network (LEARN) Living-Learning Community for incoming undergraduate students planning to major in the STEM fields, which intentionally outreaches to first-generation students, underrepresented minorities, and low- income students. Student Support Services-PRIME STEM Project The goal of SSS grant is to increase the college retention and graduation rates of its participants and help students make the transition from one level of higher education to the next. McNair Program McNair Mission: To increase the number of first-generation college students from low-income families and members of underrepresented groups in the nation's professoriate.

22 Assessment and ResearchTo promote continuous improvementTo gather indicators that will be useful for decision-making and planningTo gather evidence about how well students are meeting student learning outcomesResearchConfirm hypothesisGain new informationAdvance knowledge in a disciplineSolve a problem

23 ReferencesBillson, J. & Terry, B. (1982). In search of the silken purse: factors in attrition among first-generation students. College and University, 58, Chen, X (2005). First-Generation Students in Postsecondary Education: A Look at their College Transcripts. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Choy, S (2001). Students Whose Parents Did Not Go to College: Postsecondary Access, Persistence, and Attainment. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Duggan, M. (2001). Factors influencing the first to second year persistence of first-generation college students. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the North East Association for Institutional Research, Cambridge, MA. Duggan, M. (2002). The effects of social capital on the first to second year persistence of first-generation college students. Dissertation Abstracts International, 63(03), 188. Engle, J. (2007). Post-secondary access and success for first-generation college students. American Academic, 3(1), Greenwald, R. (2012). Think of first generation students as pioneers, not problems. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Higher Education Research Institute (2007). First in my family: A profile of first-generation college students at four-year institutions since Retrieved from Lohfink, M. & Paulsen, M. (2005). Comparing the determinants of persistence for first-generation and continuing-generation students. Journal of College Student Development, 46(4), London, H. (1989). Breaking away: a study of first-generation college students and their families. American Journal of Education, 97(2), London, H. (1992). Transformations: cultural challenges faced by first-generation students. In L.S. Zwerling & H.B. London (Eds.), First-generation students: confronting the cultural issues. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.